What's eating my chester blackberry?

Chester blackberry attracts raspberry beetle (which affects all Rubus), birds targeting the large sweet berries, and aphids in spring. Slugs damage low-hanging fruit. Its vigorous semi-erect canes can harbour spur blight fungus if left unpruned. Net fruit and spray for beetle early; prune floricanes after harvest.

Grubs inside ripening blackberries; maggoty or early-dropping fruit Spray approved insecticide at pink-fruit stage in the evening; remove and destroy infested crop debris

Distorted young tips; honeydew; possible virus transmission Soft-soap spray at first sign; encourage parasitic wasps by allowing flowering herbs nearby

Ripe berries stripped; fruiting lateral tips targeted first Fruit cage netting; reflective bird-scare tape as backup

Low-set or fallen fruit eaten; slime trails on canes Ferric phosphate pellets; raise fruiting laterals off the ground with ties; patrol after rain